Javier Mascherano looks to re-launch Liverpool FC’s season over the festive period

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CHRISTMAS cheer has been in short supply at Melwood in recent days as the impact of Liverpool’s disastrous Champions League adventure has kicked in.

Normally there is a buzz surrounding the build up to the festive period, especially once the draw for the knockout stages has been made – in the last few years alone, the imagination was fired by the prospect of last 16 ties against Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid.

This season, of course, has been completely different and the feelings invoked by a ruinous run of form which have left Liverpool way off the pace in the Premier League and out of Europe’s most prestigious competition are not something anyone wishes to experience again.

Yet, as Javier Mascherano points out, dwelling on misery is futile; the Reds might be feeling sorry for themselves right now but that is not going to help them breathe life into their ailing campaign nor will it assist their push for a top four place.

So, with that in mind, it is no surprise Mascherano is eager to talk about new beginnings, as he and the rest of his team-mates limber up for tomorrow’s crunch clash at Anfield with old rivals Arsenal.

Should they out gun the Gunners, the table will have a completely different look to it; boosting their tally by three points would bring the pack chasing a place in next year’s Champions League closer together and fire belief in the ranks.

It would also give Liverpool the chance to go into a run of eminently winnable fixtures against Wigan, Portsmouth and Wolves with a head of steam, something they haven’t been able to do since a six-match victory spree in September.

No wonder, then, Mascherano is eager to put the misery of October and November to the back of his mind – he knows come January 1 Liverpool’s fortunes could be completely transformed, which is why he says beating Arsenal is key.

“December is important for everyone in the Premier League, not just for us,” Mascherano pointed out. “January is key as well because there is the African Cup of Nations and some teams are going to lose a lot of key players.

“But this is a great chance for us, a great time to change everything. Maybe we don’t talk too much now about Liverpool’s season. Maybe we will talk in May if it was a good season or not. The season starts again now.

“We can’t change what has happened before but we can change the future. It’s difficult for everyone and we want to make people happy again. We want to play like we know we can and bring the confidence back.”

To get that victory, however, Liverpool will have to play with a style and swagger that has not been seen since they flattened Manchester United on October 25, when inspiration and perspiration dovetailed sweetly.

Arsenal, after all, are capable of playing a brand of football which can tie even the most organised team up in knots and the memory of the four goals they scored at Anfield in April, a night when Liverpool’s title challenge ultimately ended, is still fresh.

“We know it will be a really difficult game,” said Mascherano. “They play really well. But we have beaten them here before and we have got to show we have got the players and a team to beat them again. It’s a great chance for us.

“We have won games before so we know we can do it. I think in this moment, we don’t have to talk too much. We have got to show our quality on the pitch. We can talk for days and days about how we can beat them. It’s important now that we show it.

“For the (sake of the) season, we have got to do it again. We beat Manchester United here this season and we played a good game but we really need to win against a top side to show everyone we can move forward.”

Certainly the availability of Fernando Torres once more, the sight of Steven Gerrard moving ominously towards top form and the fact Alberto Aquilani is up and running will assist Liverpool’s hopes of beating Arsenal and give Benitez some quality options.

But just as it is important for the Reds to receive a slice of good fortune; luck has deserted them often during the last few months – that was again the case against Fiorentina in midweek – and there is no disputing it has had an impact.

“It’s about confidence,” said Mascherano. “When you are not winning games in a row, you don’t have confidence and it is difficult to show all the qualities that you have. In football, 80 per cent of the game is played in your head; the other 20 per cent is physical and tactical.

“So we have got to start winning to bring the confidence back. We are together and we are working very hard in training sessions and in the games but sometimes it just doesn’t go for you. Maybe if we can win, the luck will change and we’ll be confident.”

Mascherano, for his part, has been one of the Reds’ better players in the last six weeks, appearing back to his scampering, scurrying best; he may have had a lull at the start of the season but is working hard to turn that around.

“Am I back to top form? I’m trying to do my best,” said Mascherano. “You have to analyse. I don’t like to talk about me. The manager, critics can talk about me. I just try to do my best and I am very relaxed, as I am giving my best to Liverpool.”